The Alien Horror Flop That's More Like A Ghost Story
Alien movies have been a favorite horror/sci-fi subgenre for decades, and although there are hundreds of films with this premise, movie fans keep coming back for more. Why? Well, there's nothing quite like it out there. A hostile extraterrestrial force invading Earth intrigues and horrifies people at the same time, which is why scary movies involving aliens have been so successful for so long. But, not every alien-centric horror film is a success, and a number have been resolute flops. Blame it on lazy writing, or because the movie, like a certain one released in 2013, might not come off as a run-of-the-mill alien flick such as The Fourth Kind or Signs.
Dark Skies has slight nods toward the alien genre, but it could be said to have a number of ghostly features that tend toward Paranormal Activity, as well. Take a look and decide for yourself if this is alien horror flop is more like a ghost story.
Dark Skies is a two-for-one deal
Dark Skies came out in 2013 and starred Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton. The movie centers around a suburban family whose lives change when a series of disturbing occurrences begins to invade their lives. Sure, the movie had shadowy figures that could be aliens, but they don't seem to come off like the ones viewers see in movies like Independence Day or War of the Worlds. Whereas those aliens are menacing and wreck our cites with a vengeance, the figures in Dark Skies just kind of stand there and basically do nothing. When they do show up for brief moments, they stand in the corners, bathed in darkness and look toward the cast with no purpose.
Every classic ghost story has a sense of dread, paired with a presence that is hard to ignore. There are no spaceships or little green men flittering about, which is kind of how Dark Skies is, too. Maybe if director Scott Stewart went with the ghost/paranormal route, the movie would have been more understood and better-liked.